How to Balance Life in Your 20s: Even with ADHD
Life in your 20s can sometimes feel like you're an octopus juggling work, school (if you're still in it), self-care, and, for many women like me, a rollercoaster of emotions. All while trying to look, smell, and present your best, and keep your space and belongings clean.
I still remember the day I forgot to clean out my lunchbox after eating salmon. That’s when I knew I had slipped up because I always clean my lunchbox. But hey, that’s life. And here’s the truth:
You can’t do everything.
Trying to will only leave you exhausted and burned out.
So, what can you do instead?
1. Find Out What You Can Drop
During a hectic season in my life, I was managing a YouTube channel, submitting multiple applications, and taking tests on top of dealing with financial stress. I couldn’t keep up with long-form videos, so I switched to short ones and written updates to stay in touch with my audience. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked.
Take 10 minutes and list everything you're currently doing. Then ask yourself:
What happens if I don’t do this?
How will it impact others?
What benefit does it actually bring me?
If you find yourself saying, “I don’t know” or “It won’t” to any of these, it might be time to drop it.
2. Clarify Your Life Goals
It’s hard to balance your time if you don’t know what you’re working toward.
Last year, I became really focused on getting healthy. I took up long-distance running and ballet at the same time. After six months, I realized I wasn’t enjoying ballet anymore and my running was suffering. That’s when I remembered my real goal: to feel and look my best mentally, physically, and spiritually. Running helped me do that, so I let ballet go and gave running my full attention.
3. Limit Your To-Do List
I used to be a to-do list queen . I would have a list of 15 things a day, easy. But I’d only manage to check off 3 or 4 and then feel awful about it.
Now, I focus on just 3 important tasks per day. Once I’ve done those, I’m done.
Three tasks are enough to make progress without overwhelming you.
4. Create Systems That Simplify Your Life
I dream of having a dedicated home office where my filming setup is always ready to go. That way, I could walk in, flip on the light, and start creating. Until then, I do small things like:
Laying out my workout clothes the night before
Using templates for recurring projects
And doing the same tasks every time I create content
Systems save you time and mental energy.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Outsource
Sometimes I use AI to help edit my emails. I could do it myself, but it would take twice as long.
Outsourcing isn’t laziness, it’s efficiency.
If a tool or service can save you 25% of your time, it might be worth the investment.
6. Rest
Energy is finite. Some days, you simply won’t have enough in the tank to get through your top three tasks and that’s okay.
I schedule one day a week where I come home and just nap. These are often my favorite days. And I’ve learned not to feel guilty about them.
If God took time to rest, we can take a few hours to recharge too.
Remember: You're doing great.
Yes, maybe you forget to clean your lunchbox.
Yes, maybe you sleep surrounded by a week’s worth of clean laundry.
But none of that takes away from your worth or your potential.
You are still a boss.
Your 20s are for building your future, but that doesn’t mean you have to burn out in the process.
💻 Check out my YouTube channel “The In My 20s Diaries” for more self-improvement content.
Gabrielle Denise, Author Gabrielle Denise, The in my 20s diaries, self improvement, self improvement content, how to balance life, how to balance life in your 20s, 20s, how to balance life as an adult, how to have a work life balance, work life balance tips, christian blogger.